From
an interview with Mrs. Helmer Abrams whose husband's family
owned and operated movie theatres in Georgetown.

The Abrams brothers
were reared in these theatres in Georgetown as well as in Lake City.
Morris, the oldest brother, worked for a man, I believe his name was
Mr. Cook, who had a theatre. All the boys were very bright, particularly
the oldest one. He was working in the theatre and going to school. His
father told him, either go to school or work in the theatre, you can’t
do both. He began working in the theatre in Lake City full time.

I’ve heard
my husband tell this story many times. When the boxing matches came
on over the radio, he would listen to the match to find out how it was
going and then he would run down and tell his brother Morris. Morris
would project on the screen how the boxing match was going.

During the depths
of the depression, Morris somehow obtained the theatre. The next older
brother was Carroll. He finished the University of South Carolina and
then he and Engle Hazzard came to Georgetown and started a bank called
the Georgetown Cash Depository. At that time, Morris sold the theatre
in Lake City.

About twenty years
ago, my husband and I went to an affair in Lake City. The place had
changed so much we couldn’t tell where we were. My husband stopped
the car and asked a black man if he knew where the Haskels lived. The
fellow said, “Ain’t you one of the Abrams brothers?”
It was a man named Princey who had worked for Morris at the theatre
in Lake City. Whether Princey is still living or not, God only knows.

After Carroll opened
up the bank, Morris, Helmer, and their mother came to Georgetown. The
other brother, Sidney, was entering the University of South Carolina.
Helmer entered high school in Georgetown. I don’t know if their
father came with them or not. That was before I married Helmer. I believe
Morris opened the Palace Theatre first. Then they opened the Strand.

Morris ran both
theatres in Georgetown and one in Andrews. Then they opened two drive-ins,
one in Andrews and one here. Then, about 1950, Morris’ mother
became a semi-invalid. He bought a television for her. It was very early-on
and television had just come in. Morris became ill and had to have a
very serious operation in Charleston. Carroll closed the theatres while
Morris was down in Charleston.

Morris retired after
that. At that time, Carroll still owned the Georgetown Cash Depository.
Engle Hazzard, his partner, had died. Carroll sold the Palace Theatre
to the First Citizens Bank.

Morris’ widow,
Lillian Abrams, sold the Strand Theatre to community theatre group.

Every child went
to the movie theatre on a Saturday. It was a wonderful place to leave
your children at that time. You could leave your child there and nobody
would touch them.

One time, my son
was going to the movies on a Saturday and, naturally, they were all
throwing popcorn boxes and God knows what else. Morris and Lillian had
no children. Morris was standing in the back of the theatre and he saw
the popcorn boxes flying and he cut the movie off. He went down front
and said, “The next one that throws a popcorn box will never be
allowed to come in this theatre again!”

He stood in the
back for awhile and of course, the popcorn boxes started flying again.
Well, Morris saw the kid who threw the first one in the air and he went
down the aisle and yanked this boy up by the scruff of his neck and
it was his nephew!